Hells on Earth

Prologue

Kevin was running as fast as he could along the winding forest path. The dwindling light of the sunset and the stupid number of undulations to negotiate with each step made it extremely difficult to stay upright.

He had always been fast, certainly faster than the goblins in pursuit, but as the night took over, he wouldn't be able to outrun them for long because he would become blind, and their night vision would kick in. They would keep running at their fastest pace while he would have to slow to a walk.

But that was part of the plan.

Draw those little shits out from their walled town, give them the confidence to relax, then his team of seven would use their night vision goggles to see them in the night and shoot them with their arrows.

Silent, accurate, and lethal.

Goblins were smart, though, so this trick wouldn't work again here. It didn't matter, Kevin had learned lots of tricks over the last two decades.

He had arrived at his hiding spot, a fallen tree that provided excellent cover. It was dry, but most importantly, it had his favorite woman in the world waiting for him.

He stopped running, pausing to check for goblins, ensuring they couldn't see him enter. He saw nothing, but he could hear their hunting screams.

He had time.

He took his quick, well-placed foot off the track then made a second check for his footprint. Goblins were sickenly good trackers, and part of the plan was for them to keep running for at least twenty seconds.

No track. He lifted the cover, slid into the hideout, and snuggled into a nice, warm, familiar body.

Kevin said, "Ten seconds behind, about twenty of them. So far, everything is going to plan."

They both gave each other a brief smile. This wasn't their first combat, yet the fear and loathing of the upcoming fight were easy to see in both of their faces.

The goblin footsteps came within earshot. They were rapid footsteps, like children running. And quiet, unlike children.

Kevin attempted to count the goblin numbers, about twenty-three. Seven humans against twenty-three, four each will do it. Kevin waited until she finished counting down the ten-second wait, then he rolled out with his bow in hand, and when he stood up, he latched onto his spear.

She was out straight after him.

Without a word, they launched themselves into the chase. Within moments, the first screams of goblin death reached them. Moments after that, they were both shooting arrows into the backs of defending goblins.

By the time they realized what was happening, most of them were dead.

By the time they took action, they were all dead.

Kevin did his scan of bodies, sticking every one of them as he went by. Others were looting the bodies for valuables. When he was finished, he gave the wrap-up signal, then they jogged into the forest to return home.

He didn't know why the goblins had attacked their town earlier. He figured it didn't matter. Ever since they had appeared all those years ago, the question of why shit happens seemed a pointless one to ask anyway.

He sometimes wished The Change hadn't happened. Although it was becoming increasingly difficult to remember a life without the insanity of goblins, orcs, minotaurs, dogmen, and magic.

All he wanted to do was crash into his old couch, flick on the television and watch a bad movie.

If only.